No. But you could almost be forgiven for thinking that we are.
From Pula north we are starting to see a whole other side of Croatia - a much more European side rather than its Balkan one. Apart from the Roman and Venetian influences, we are walking by a lot of buildings that look like they belong in the Austro-Hungarian empire. More at home in stylish Vienna or Prague than Croatia.
But their presence is not so surprising given that Pula was such an important Austro-Hungarian naval base and shipbuilding center for the empire as well as the summer home of their royal family. The juxtaposition of these often pastel-painted buildings with their more solid Venetian neighbors gives a tremendous sense of the varied impact that history and geography have had on this area.
This area is also called the Istrian Riviera and it is certainly justified by the number of tourists and holiday destinations that we are seeing as we sail north. We have been getting a little tired of sitting in marinas so we seek out a little bay with just three moorings a mile or so south of our next objective - Rovinj.
The bay is fringed by pine trees and a fairly upscale hotel offering a number of outdoor activities. It is not frenetic in any way; just families enjoying their vacation in the sun.
One advantage of this location is that the hotel provides a ferry service to Rovinj town. On our second day, we take advantage of this and head into town in the afternoon.
The town is quite beautiful and things are starting to be more reminiscent of Italy than of the Croatia we saw down south. Narrow cobbled alleyways wander up the hill to the church.
Here the cobblestones are made of marble worn smooth by the feet of the centuries. They are not just laid out in rectangular patterns; there are intricate designs that add to the multi-faceted nature of the street scenes. They are also very slippery; it is clear that it cannot rain here very much otherwise all the inhabitants would be piled up at the bottom of the hill in tangle of broken limbs. Parents with children in strollers look worried as they pick their way down.
Part of the town was once an artist community but now it offers more mass-produced art and souvenirs. Some artists and craftsmen are still here though and we buy a nice little etching to take home. We are also considering a piece of art to put on the boat (which is still way too white). We will pass this way again and may snag it.
The waterfront has more of the historicist-style buildings that slowly transition into traditional tenement-style buildings clinging to the fringes of the promontory on which the town is built.
The Italian influence is everywhere (and this is not just because most of the tourists speak Italian and the locals speak it back.) To our surprise, the cuisine has become considerably more Italian and there is a notable amount of chic cafe society along the water’s edge - a taste of things to come!
Talking about food (Lori’s almost favorite subject) again. The farmers’ markets here are a wonderful antidote to the sladoled culture. The variety and quality are quite astonishing and the vendors are justifiably proud of what they produce. We keep saying "This is the best peach/nectarine/apricot/watermelon we have ever tasted". And it's amazing what you can get for less than $10!
Finally, there is a little-known phenomenon in Rovinj that relates to the preponderance of similarities between pet-owners and their pets. Although this phenomenon is noticed in other places (you know who you are ....), here it is particularly pronounced.
For the next week (until Pam and Brian join us) we will hover just 60 or so miles off the coast of Italy and our ultimate destination - Venice.